Device for mounting a motor vehicle rear window shelf

ABSTRACT

A removable rear shelf for a motor vehicle and lateral supports therefor. The shelf includes a pair of front corners and an abutment surface adjacent the front corners on the bottom surface of the shelf. Each of the lateral supports includes a surface on which the bottom surface of the shelf rests when installed in the motor vehicle, a coupling element which receives a front corner of the shelf and permits rotation of the shelf relative to the supports for installation and removal, and an abutment surface which is complementary with the abutment surface on the shelf to prevent rearward movement of the shelf when installed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for mounting the rear shelf ofa motor vehicle and, more particularly, to such a device intended formounting the shelf on its lateral supports.

Motor vehicles of the three-door or five-door type have, in a known way,a removable rear shelf, so as to make it possible for the volume locatedbehind the back seat to be freed completely. Moreover, these shelves areusually mounted pivotably so as to be capable of being raised in orderto have easier access to the boot. For this purpose, they are oftenattached to the rear tailgate by means of a flexible tie, so as to beraised at the same time as the latter.

In order to achieve these aims, the known shelves comprise anarticulation system, for example two cylindrical fingers for support androtation which are mounted on either side of the shelf, in the extensionone of the other, perpendicularly to the plane of symmetry of thevehicle. These fingers may be mounted on the shelf by any known means,for example in the form of an insert, or else screwed into an insertwhich is itself moulded on. They are intended to engage into receivingpieces integral with lateral receiving supports which are themselvesfastened to the chassis of the vehicle.

These devices have some disadvantages. In the first place, the fingersfor support and rotation project beyond the lateral edges of the shelfwhen the latter is removed from its position of use. This results in arisk that these fingers may become caught while the shelf is beingmounted or demounted and may damage the inner walls of the vehicle ordamage themselves.

Furthermore, these arrangements are complicated, and therefore costly tomanufacture, and they require parts, the number of which must be reducedas far as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to mitigate these disadvantages.

To this effect, the subject of the invention is a device for mountingthe rear shelf of a motor vehicle on its lateral supports, characterizedin that it comprises the two front corners of the said shelf and twocoupling elements integral with the said supports and arranged toreceive the said corners, the said elements and said corners beingarranged to allow the shelf to rotate relative to the said support, andcomplementary abutment surfaces being provided on the said corners andon the said coupling elements, in order to prevent a rearward movementof the shelf when it is in the substantially horizontal position of use.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the said coupling elementsare arranged to allow the corners to engage into the coupling elementsby means of a forward movement of the shelf relative to its lateralsupports, with the shelf being at a slight angle relative to thehorizontal.

More particularly, the said corners and said coupling elements may bearranged to allow the said shelf to be extracted by means of a rearwardand upward movement of this shelf relative to its lateral supports, withthe shelf being at some inclination relative to the horizontal.

In particular, each of the said coupling elements may form a generallycylindrical cavity which has generatrices substantially perpendicular tothe mid-plane of the vehicle and which is open at least on the same sideas the said plane and between two generatrices, so as to form an orificefor the engagement of the said corners, the said orifice being generallydirected upwards and rearwards.

More particularly, the said cavity may be delimited by a casing, ofwhich at least the part near the orifice is elastic, the said cornerhaving a thickness such that the said elastic part is deformed when theshelf is in the horizontal operating position.

There may be provision, in particular, for the said abutment surfaces toform a shoulder directed rearwards and formed on each of the saidcorners and a shoulder directed forwards and formed on each of the saidcoupling elements, the said shoulders co-operating when the said cornersare engaged in the said coupling elements, with the shelf being in thesubstantially horizontal position.

The said coupling elements may, in particular, be arranged to allow amovement, as far as an abutment point, of the shelf forwards anddownwards relative to its lateral supports, with the shelf being at someinclination relative to the horizontal, and to prevent a rotationalmovement of the shelf when it is at this abutment point.

More particularly, the said cavity may possess an extension generallydirected forwards and downwards and capable of receiving the said cornerwhen the said shelf is at the said some inclination.

The said extension may, in particular, possess, at its bottom directedforwards and downwards, elastic means arranged to allow a play of thesaid shelf in this direction.

The arrangement according to the invention makes it possible, in thefirst place, to limit the number of components, thereby simplifying themanagement of the replacement parts as regards both manufacture andafter-sales services. This limitation of the number of components alsotends towards obtaining products which can be recycled more easily.

Moreover, the industrialization of the product is simplified, in thatthe finishing operations are reduced considerably in relation to thoseof the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Particular embodiments of the invention will now be described by way ofnon-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammaticdrawings in which:

FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c illustrate a diagrammatic side view of one of thevariants of the invention, in which the shelf and its support arelocated in three different typical positions;

FIGS. 2a and 2b likewise illustrate a diagrammatic side view of twosteps in the operation of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3a to 3d are perspective views illustrating the operation of thedevice of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 3, relating to the device ofFIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 3 show a rear shelf 1 of a motor vehicle and a lateral shelfsupport 2. Of course, the vehicle possesses two lateral supports whichare substantially symmetrical relative to the mid-plane of the vehicle.The support 2 forms, at its free edge, a setback 3 capable of receivingthe corresponding edge of the shelf on a bearing surface 4 facingupwards, the upper surface of the shelf and its support then being levelwith one another.

At its front end, the support forms a coupling element 5 arranged toreceive the corresponding front corner 6 of the shelf 1. This element 5is formed essentially from a generally cylindrical cavity 7 havinggeneratrices perpendicular to the mid-plane of the vehicle. This cavityis open upwards between two of its generatrices and on its side facingtowards the mid-plane of the vehicle.

The cavity 7 is delimited by a casing 7' which has some elasticity, atleast in the upper part near its orifice. The corner 6 of the shelf hasa thickness such that, when the shelf is in the horizontal position, theupper part of the casing 7' is slightly deformed upwards and thus laysthe shelf onto its supports, the effect of this being to limit itsvibrations (in other words, the thickness of the corner 6 is greaterthan the vertical distance separating the free edge of the casing 7'from the horizontal surface of the setback 8 which will now bedescribed.

The setback 3 terminates, in the cavity 7, in a second setback 8, theshoulder of which forms an abutment surface 9 facing towards the frontof the vehicle. The abutment surface 9 is arranged to cooperate with ashoulder which forms a complementary surface 10 formed on the rear shelf1 at the bottom of a recess 11, the said bottom being in the directionof the front of the vehicle.

The surfaces of the setback 8 and the complementary surfaces of thecorner 6 are advantageously lined with rubber anti-noise pads which alsomake it possible to limit the wear attributable to friction in thesezones.

The shelf 1 is interdicted at its location by sliding its corners 6forwards on the surfaces 4, whilst keeping it slightly inclined relativeto its lateral supports 2. This step is illustrated in FIG. 3b.

When the shelf reaches the end of its travel, its corners engage intothe cavities 7. The shelf can then be tilted horizontally into theposition illustrated in FIGS. 1c and 3c. This position is its normaloperating position, in which the abutment surfaces 9 and 10 prevent anyrearward movement of the shelf 1.

In this position, the shelf may be raised in order to allow easy accessto the boot, the front edge of the shelf sliding against the innercylindrical wall of the cavity 7.

When the shelf 1 is to be removed, it is pivoted, as illustrated in FIG.1, so that the abutment surfaces 9 and 10 are disengaged from oneanother. The shelf 1 may then be removed by drawing it upwards andrearwards.

FIGS. 2 and 4 differ from FIGS. 1 and 3 only in that, here, the cavity 7is extended forwards and downwards at 20. When the shelf is in itsoperating position shown in FIG. 2b, it can be pivoted upwards into aposition in which it may be displaced forwards and downwards into a newposition, in which the front edge of the corner 6 can engage into theextension 20.

In this position, the shelf is in abutment against the edges of thecavity 7, thus making it possible to keep it in the position illustratedin FIG. 2a, without using the flexible ties which were mentioned above.

The shelf may be either removed or returned into the position of FIG. 2bby drawing it upwards and rearwards.

Moreover, FIGS. 2 and 4 show that the bottom of the extensions 20 of thecavities 7, the said bottom being in the downward and forwarddirections, is equipped with an elastic tongue 21, on which the frontedge of the corner 6 comes to bear when the shelf 1 assumes the positionshown in FIG. 2a. This tongue assists in releasing the shelf from thereceptacle 7 for the purpose of turning it down into the horizontalposition. It makes it possible, furthermore, to avoid the shelfexperiencing excessive stresses and, in particular, breaking when itreceives a jolt from the rear, for example under the action of theclosing of the tailgate.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination, a removable rear shelf for amotor vehicle and lateral supports therefor,said rear shelf comprising atop surface and a bottom surface, a front edge and a rear portion, apair of front corners at ends of the front edge and an abutment surfaceadjacent the front corners on the bottom surface of the shelf; each ofsaid lateral supports comprising a support surface on which the bottomsurface of said shelf rests when installed in the motor vehicle, acoupling element constructed and arranged to receive one of said pair offront corners of the shelf and to permit rotation of the shelf relativeto the supports for installation and removal, and an abutment surfacewhich is complementary with the abutment surface on the shelf to preventrearward movement of the shelf when installed.
 2. A combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said corners and said coupling elementsare constructed and arranged to permit the corners to engage thecoupling elements by means of frontward movement of the shelf relativeto the lateral supports, with the shelf being at a slight angle relativeto a horizontal plane.
 3. A combination according to claim 1, whereinsaid corners and said coupling elements are constructed and arranged topermit said shelf to be extracted from said supports by means of arearward and upward movement of the shelf relative to the lateralsupports, with the shelf being at an inclination to a horizontal plane.4. A combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said couplingelements comprises a generally cylindrical cavity which is open in adirection generally perpendicular to the support surface so that thefront edge of the shelf is retained between opposed lateral supports,the coupling elements further comprising an orifice opening into thecavity for engagement of said corners in the cavity, the orifice beinggenerally directed upwards and rearwards.
 5. A combination according toclaim 4, wherein the cavity is defined by a casing, of which at least aportion near the orifice is elastic, said front corners having athickness such that said elastic portion is deformed when the shelf isinstalled in the motor vehicle in a horizontal position.
 6. Acombination according to claim 4, wherein the cavity includes anextension generally directed frontwards and downwards and constructedand arranged to receive one of said pair of front corners when saidshelf is at an inclination.
 7. A combination according to claim 6,wherein said extension includes a bottom portion comprising elasticmeans directed frontwards and downwards and arranged to permit a play ofthe shelf in a frontward and downward direction.
 8. A combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein the abutment surface of said shelfcomprises a shoulder directed rearwards, and the abutment surface ofsaid coupling elements comprises a shoulder directed frontwards, theshoulders of said shelf and said supports cooperating when the shelf isinstalled in a substantially horizontal position.
 9. A combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein each of said coupling elements comprisesan abutment point therein constructed and arranged to limit rotationalmovement of said shelf downwards relative to the lateral supports withthe shelf at an inclination relative to horizontal.